Every anime fan goes through certain stages. They start with action anime like Naruto, Dragon Ball, or even Fullmetal Alchemist and then feel an empty void in their souls, craving more. Those who fall into that rabbit hole will quickly find themselves drifting away from the over-the-top fights and leaning more into romance; such is the evolution of an anime fan. Since that happened to us and will eventually happen to you, we’ve prepared a list of the best 10 Rom-Com anime you can watch right now.
10. My Love Story with Yamada-Kun at Lv 999
Let’s start with a recent one. My Love Story with Yamada-Kun at Lv 999 premiered during the Spring 2023 season, and it was fantastic. This anime follows the story of Akane, a girl who gets into MMOs after being convinced by her boyfriend just for him to break up with her soon after. Heartbroken and angry, she decides to follow her ex-boyfriend to an in-person event of the MMO they played to find this guy is already dating someone else. After discovering this, she falls face-first in front of everyone; on the brink of tears, Yamada, a legendary, handsome, and asocial gamer, arrives to aid her.
We think this anime deserves to be on the list because of how different the characters are and how both bring the best out of each other. Yamada has the social skills of a rock, and Akane helps him with that by getting him out of his shell and into the exterior. On the other hand, she thinks very little of herself after her last breakup, and Yamada is there to support her and help her see her worth. There are a lot of fun moments inside and outside the game they now play together, and it is an excellent anime for those MMO and romance fans.
9. Love, Chunibyo, And Other Delusions
Let’s face it: we all had that hidden side as kids when we dressed up as superheroes and didn’t mind if other people saw us do that. Right? However, the people at Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions take it to a whole new level. They actually think they were those characters. Yuta, the protagonist, is trying to escape his embarrassing past now that he’s moving to a new school and has a clean start. That is until he meets the Chunibyo queen, Rikka. She, among other characters, brings out the side Yuta has been trying to hide in a series of comedic situations and shocking revelations.
Besides the fun situations and romantic tropes, this anime is quite deep. We found out each person had a Chunibyo side, a word for teenagers who believe they have magical powers or skills because they want to escape reality due to difficult real-life situations. This is relatable as everyone has the means to escape our daily issues. Be it gaming, comics, or something else. If you want an anime that reminds you of your embarrassing teenage years, this one’s for you.
8. Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague
Anyone who has previously watched Rom-Com anime knows the setting for the best ones is in the school. What if I told you there’s a relatable anime for us workers? Yes. This anime occurs in an office with normal people and descendants of folklore spirits. Alright. That last part isn’t too relatable. However, the romance is. The story follows Fujutsuki, a normal woman, and Himuro, a descendant of the Snow Woman who freezes everything whenever he gets excited or sad. Fortunately, they both work at the same company, on the same floor, next to each other, which kickstarts a wholesome love story.
The fun thing about the anime is how it steers away from the usual teenage setting and shows us young workers trying to juggle a romantic life and powers. Himuro, who has the power of ice, is the warmest person in the office and tries to show it at every turn. On the other hand, Fujutsuki is cold, shy, and a bit serious, so both characters complement each other. Add to this some fantastic fan-serviceable situations and a compelling cast, and you have a recipe for success.
7. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
Speaking of office romance, this is the king and one of the best Rom-Com anime ever. In a more normal setting without powers, the story follows Narumi, a Yaoi fan (we’ll let you search what that is), and Hirotaka, her childhood friend, who is a hardcore gamer. After years of not seeing each other, they reunite as co-workers and decide to start dating; however, things are never easy for an Otaku.
Even if the relationship happens early in the show, that doesn’t mean it’s over. The real struggle and the fun of this show is how both characters fight through their awkwardness to make a relationship work. You have socially awkward people who don’t know anything beyond their manga and gaming worlds, and now they need to see how they function as a couple. Many of us here can relate to that; if that’s the case, you can’t miss this anime.
6. Komi-San Can’t Communicate
What happens when you take the most beautiful girl in the school who can’t talk to save her life and combine it with a guy who’s been a wallflower all his life? Yeah, you know where this is going. Komi-San Can’t Communicate follows Komi in her quest to make 100 friends. The challenge? She can’t talk. For this, she has the help of Tadano, her best friend, who also has a crush on her and is adamant about helping her talk.
This one is one of the most wholesome Rom-Com anime out there and probably one of the best of recent years. You see how Komi grows in every episode in situations that are fun due to people thinking she’s too cool to talk when, in truth, she’s melting inside, not knowing what to do. If you ever had issues with talking to others, you might get a few useful tips from this show. Besides, there are other characters with some strange quirks that are relatable, and you might see yourself in any of this colorful cast.
5. Kimi ni Todoke
Now, we have the other side of the coin. Kimi ni Todoke is a legendary anime and was the masterclass for many of the best Rom-Com anime we have. The story follows Sawako, also known as Sadako, the girl from The Ring, who tries to be noticed by others. No one talks to her because they think she is scary. However, she’s just socially awkward.
The fantastic thing about this anime is that we see Sawako breaking her shy shell and becoming friends with others while finally getting her crush’s attention, Kazehaya. This anime is fantastic and shows the struggle of opening up to others. It is something that challenges many people today, and this show paints it in a lighthearted way at times, with some fun situations and a bit of drama on the side.
4. Tomo-Chan is a Girl!
Picture this: two childhood friends who live next to each other. They spend all their childhood and teenage years together. Tomo and Junichirou, the protagonists, finally make it to high school, and Tomo arms herself with the courage to confess her feelings for Junichirou, just for him to laugh at her and say he only sees him as a friend. You might think I mixed up the pronouns there. No. Junichirou always thought Tomo was a boy due to her boyish nature, ridiculous strength, and more.
The show sees Tomo trying to be more girly to get Junichirou’s attention. The anime has many fun situations, but we like how it deals with each character’s identity. Junichirou slowly falls for Tomo, but not because she’s more girly. We also have characters who want to break away from their stereotypes, and this anime shows how difficult it is to find who we really are. It’s wholesome, fun, and romantic—all three things you can expect in a great show.
3. Gamers!
Gamers! revolves around Karen Tendou, the most beautiful girl at school who runs the gaming club as an extracurricular activity, and Amano, a guy whose only worry is playing games and who doesn’t care about anything that happens around him. Karen tries to recruit him, but Amano declines, saying he plays games for passion, not competition, which is the club’s goal. Here, Karen sees a lighthearted side in the gaming world that slowly makes her fall for Amano.
What we love about this show is how it deals with gamers trying to find love in the most awkward ways. Amano deals with new experiences that force him out of his gamer bubble. Karen realizes being the perfect girl isn’t always great, as Amano teaches her. Add to that other characters who’ve met each other in the past due to games, and you have several love triangles, fun misunderstandings, a lot of fan service, and a compelling plot. It’s a must-watch for us gamers.
2. The Quintessential Quintuplets
We couldn’t forgive ourselves if we didn’t add a harem anime to the best Rom-Com list; however, it isn’t like the others of the genre. Featuring who is probably the smartest harem anime protagonist, the story follows Futaro. He is the most intelligent student in the school, and he meets a group of quintuplets with the worst grades. He becomes their private tutor, and what follows is a series of very fun situations full of romance and mystery.
Besides the five iconic and fantastic waifus, this show is a romantic story at every turn. Each girl falls for Futaro for a specific reason, but Futaro doesn’t want anything to do with her because he met the love of her life when he was a kid. What’s the catch, then? The girl he met was one of the quintuplets, and the show is about finding out who Futaro’s childhood love is. If you want something different from the usual cringe-harem anime tropes, this show is much better in every aspect and one of the best.
1. Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
We’ve made it to the king of all Rom-Com anime, the best of the best. Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is, by far, the best romantic anime and one of the most fun. It follows Kaguya and Miyuki, the secretary and president of the school council, respectively. They love each other; however, they are too proud to say it and are always scheming something to make the other confess.
This is pure comedy as both characters are geniuses and try to trick the other into showing their feelings. Be it by a rap battle or a board game, there’s a crazy plan in every episode that’ll make you fall off your chair. Besides that, you can also see a serious side in every character. You have Miyuki, who doesn’t have much money and tries to be the #1 student to get ahead in life. Kaguya has a controlling father who always chooses everything for her. It shows the efforts of both characters to find their path and fall in love simultaneously.
With so many Rom-Com anime, it wasn’t easy to list the best ones, but we’re confident about our own. However, many shows are out there, and you should try watching them all until you find your favorite.
